


Proper Preparation

by china_shop



Category: due South
Genre: Fic, M/M, Pre-Slash, Snippet
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-10-24
Updated: 2010-10-24
Packaged: 2017-10-12 20:53:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 243
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/128972
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/china_shop/pseuds/china_shop
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Ray pinches the dull green emery board between the ball of his thumb and the tips of his fingers, and thinks What the hell am I doing?</p>
            </blockquote>





	Proper Preparation

**Author's Note:**

> Many thanks to arysteia for help in untangling the tenses.

Ray pinches the dull green emery board between the ball of his thumb and the tips of his fingers, and thinks _What the hell am I doing?_ It's late, he's dead beat, and he has to get up early tomorrow, and he's doing his nails? Doing them properly, too. It makes no sense.

He takes another couple of swipes at his index finger, then starts on his right hand.

Ever since he gave up hoping Stella'd come back, he's been using nail clippers — quick, easy, good enough for government work. He'd _needed_ life to be easy then. And it hadn't been like he was putting his fingers anywhere soft and hot and delicate anymore, so who cared if the edges were rough, or if the sides split off sometimes? No-one, that's who.

But tonight when he'd been brushing his teeth, he'd suddenly noticed how scrappy his nails had gotten, scarred and coarse with scratchy jagged edges. Without even thinking he'd started rummaging around for the little silver scissors in the bathroom cabinet, spilling all sorts of empty tubes and old soap and crap onto the counter.

He finishes and examines his work. They look respectable now. Safe. He stuffs all the bathroom crap back into the cabinet, and rubs the back of his head sleepily.

As he crawls into bed a couple of minutes later, he wonders whether Fraser, who notices _everything_ , will notice Ray's nails. And if he does, will he understand?


End file.
